Differential diagnosis includes (2):
Medical and nursing staff can have difficulty distinguishing between anaphylactic reactions, convulsions and fainting. Most convulsions reported after measles and rubella vaccine occurred within one hour and had features uggesting syncope rather than epileptic fits. Syncope is common after any injection in adolescents and adults.
Very young children rarely faint - sudden loss of consciousness at this age should be presumed to be anaphylaxis unless there is a strong central (carotid) pulse, which persists during a faint or convulsion.
If in doubt, treat the patient for anaphylaxis.
Reference:
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